city council is expected to debate on some new law on truancy. the new chairman of the council's education committee is pushing for the new ordinance while mayor gray opposes it. today, there was a forum on truancy at ann beers elementary school in the hillcrest neighborhood. john henrehan was there and joining us live from the newsroom. was the proposed now law a major topic in. >> and that is largely the topic. when high introduced it, part of the new law required mandatory -- when unexcused absences exceeded 20 days a year and he's willing to drop that provision and believes that city intervention is necessary when students don't come to school. there has always been a certain amount of truancy among d.c. public school students. a generation ago, truancy was squelched by families and the school system. >> and the first time we went to the botanical gardens rather than school. when i got home, the truant officer was sitting in my living room. >> reporter: nowadays, truancy among d.c. public school students is chronic, especially in poorer neigh